INDIANAPOLIS – Seven weeks ago, Ryan Grant was a passed physical away from becoming a Baltimore Raven. Then it never happened. His circuitous offseason instead led him to Indianapolis, where he passed the physical, signed with the Colts and — get this — found his own version of Dr. Dre.

Allow him to explain.

“For me, I don’t know if you’ve seen the (Tupac biopic) ‘All Eyez on Me,’’’ Grant offered Tuesday. “Before (Tupac) hooked up with Dr. Dre, no one really knew who he was. But when he got with Dre, he was booming. So I feel like that how’s how I am like coming here to Indy.”

Seven months ago, Chester Rogers was a healthy hamstring away from grabbing the job he’d earned: the Colts’ No. 2 receiver spot. Problem was that hammy never got right. A promising spring and summer for Rogers soured into the fall, his talent left untapped, a season all but lost. He made just 23 catches.

Both Grant and Rogers will soon be battling it out for the role of WR2 — aka T.Y. Hilton’s lead sidekick — in a revamped and redesigned Colts’ offense that’s desperate for some juice — not to mention its Dr. Dre back in the fold. Both wideouts have plenty to prove. Both, too, have plenty of opportunity.

Grant is the newcomer, eager to demonstrate (to the Ravens, ahem, and everyone else) just how healthy his ankle is. (He said he’s spent exactly zero time in the training room since arriving in Indy.) Rogers is the kid who’s done it the hard way every step of his career: from walking on at Grambling State to never hearing his name called in the draft to, rather suddenly, finding himself the leading candidate to replace Donte Moncrief this fall.

Because beyond Hilton, the perennial Pro Bowler, nothing’s been decided in the Colts’ receivers room. And with new coach Frank Reich’s aggressive, up-tempo attack, players are beginning to believe this unit can surprise some defenses and turn some heads this year. If it does, it’ll be because someone not named T.Y. Hilton and Jack Doyle stepped up. Grant and Rogers believe it’ll be them.

Both seemed rejuvenated Tuesday — new offense, new coaches, new system, new hope. Rogers has found himself walking the halls of the Colts’ West 56th Street facility recently, muttering, “Hey, this is what a real organization feels like.” He may be the only Colts’ holdover to put it that bluntly, as he did Tuesday, but he’s certainly not the first in recent weeks to offer the sentiment. Reich’s arrival has had that sort of impact around here.

As for the offense, new coordinator Nick Sirianni is drilling his scheme into his players by way of the classroom. Exams are involved. Weekly, even. We’re talking multiple choice, short answer tests, Sirianni’s way of making sure his wideouts know their assignments like the back of their hands.

“I’m buying into everything he’s bringing to the table,” Grant said of Sirianni. “I’m making B+s. I’m not flunking, so I’m cool with that.”

Rogers pointed out that he’s not just passing the tests, he’s top of the class. “Got the high score on the last one,” he beamed.

As for the scheme, Rogers admitted that it’ll be tougher to grasp than former coordinator Rob Chudzinski’s. He also pointed out that it’ll be more diverse, perhaps even more creative, allowing the Colts’ various skillsets room to shine.

“We’re not handicapped in this offense,” Rogers said, “and I feel like it’s going to bring the best out of all our potential.”

He elaborated: “It’s putting players in positions and groups that they’re good at. They’re really using (Eric) Ebron, Jack (Doyle), me, T.Y., putting us everywhere. (The scheme) is a lot more flexible. Everybody’s excited. Different teams that run this offense (Rogers cited the Super Bowl champion Eagles), everybody’s open.”

Where does Rogers fit in? First he has to stay on the field. General Manager Chris Ballard — admittedly one of Rogers’ biggest fans — has been on him this offseason, encouraging the third-year pro to do everything he can to stay out of the training room. Part of that has been trimming his body fat. “I’m down to like eight percent now,” Rogers said. “I’m been doing Pilates, I’ve been doing different things, because I know what my problem is as far as tissue injuries and just doing stuff to prevent that.”

A former walk-on at Grambling State, Chester Rogers is used to beating the odds.(Photo: Mykal McEldowney/IndyStar)

Rogers steadily climbed the depth chart last summer, first in offseason workouts, then minicamp, then training camp. The hamstring hit, and it lingered. For an offense desperate for playmakers, Rogers’ absence hurt. Same goes for 2017. The Colts simply aren’t deep enough, or proven enough, to see another key cog go down.

And that’s part of the reason Grant is here. Four years in Washington. Eighty-four catches. He sees a breakout coming in Indy, as long as Luck is here to play the role of Dr. Dre.

Help him boom, remember.

“Going into it, I expected things to be set at a high standard, and that’s what they are here,” Grant said. “I’m falling in love with the process and the track that everything is on.”